Delicately thin Meyer lemon-infused cookies spread with a zesty lemon white chocolate cream filling. These Meyer Lemon Sandwich Cookies are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up, especially with some tea!
Why these Meyer lemon sandwich cookies are a must…
Not only are these cookies easy to make, they also use relatively few ingredients. The key component here is the citrus fruit that delicately flavors both the cookie and the cream frosting. Even those who aren’t fans of citrus desserts will enjoy these because the lemon flavor is quite subtle. You can use regular lemons (or even tangerines or oranges!) but in the winter months when Meyer lemons are in season I like to use that type of citrus. If you aren’t familiar with Meyer lemons, they look similar to regular lemons but are a bit sweeter and have a thinner skin. But again, any lemon or orange fruit would work well here. Another plus of these cookies? If you’re not in the mood to make the frosting, they can also be enjoyed solo.
Key Components for the Meyer Lemon Cream Sandwich Cookies
Cookies
These cookies are made from almost the same dough that I use for my honey shortbread cookies, only with some minor adjustments. First, this recipe uses white sugar instead of dark brown sugar and it includes the addition of lemon juice and zest. Like the honey shortbread cookies, these cookies are best after being refrigerated for an hour, but preferably two hours.
Cream Frosting
I love the cookies in this recipe, but the zesty lemon white chocolate cream filling may be my favorite part. It doesn’t require any special equipment and comes together very quickly: simply melt the white chocolate chips, add the heavy cream, and add the zest and lemon juice. You can make the filling a day in advance but be sure to microwave it for about 10-15 seconds to soften the filing for spreading on the cookies. I addd about a teaspoon and a half of the filling per sandwich, but it depends on the size of the cookie cutter used.
Meyer Lemon Sandwich Cookies
Equipment
- 1 baking tray
- 1 handheld mixer
- 1 circular cookie cutter (can also use the top of a glass)
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp butter, room temp
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1½ cup flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp powdered sugar, optional
Meyer Lemon White Chocolate Cream Filling
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- 3-4 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Using a handheld mixer on medium, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add in the vanilla, honey, lemon juice and lemon zest and mix on medium until combined.
- Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and mix. You'll see small pebble-like clusters at first but keep mixing until the dough starts sticking together (about a minute). Lay out a piece of plastic wrap on the counter and scoop the dough onto it. Wrap the dough up and shape into a disc. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- When you're ready to bake, take a baking tray and line it with parchment paper (the shaped cookie dough will be in the freezer for 15 minutes minimum so make sure your tray can fit. If not, line two or three plates instead.) Take dough out and flour the board or counter where you will roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter or the open end of a glass to cut out shapes and place them carefully onto the lined baking tray. Freeze for about 15-30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium-sized bowl, pour in the white chocolate chips and place in the microwave for increments of 25 seconds, stirring every time (it should take about a minute or 90 seconds for the chocolate to melt). You could also melt the chocolate using a double broiler method. Add in the room temperature heavy cream and mix until the desired consistency forms. Add in the lemon juice and zest and mix. Set aside.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until just lightly browning at the edges. Remove and let cool. Once cool, spread a teaspoon or two of the cream filling to the underside of one cookie and place its matching pair on top. Continue until all cookies are used up and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. These sandwich cookies can be stored for another day in an airtight container. They can also be frozen.